Minotaur and woman behind a curtain 1933

This work was created by Pablo Picasso, and it depicts a minotaur and a woman behind a curtain. In the 1930s, Picasso created a series of works featuring the minotaur, a mythological creature that is half man and half bull. The minotaur can be interpreted as a symbol of primal instinct and masculine power. Picasso was living in France at the time, where the surrealist movement was becoming popular. Surrealists were interested in tapping into the unconscious mind, and they often used mythological imagery to express their ideas. The Minotaur was a recurring figure within Surrealism because his duality embodied the complex themes the movement was trying to express. Art historians examine letters, biographical material, and historical context to understand the use of classical imagery, and the expression of the power of masculine sexuality in Picasso's art.